/ˈʌlsɚz/
ulcers is pronounced /ˈʌlsɚz/. Ulcers are open sores that form on skin or mucous membranes, causing pain and possible infection. They can result from injury, infection, or chronic conditions, and may heal slowly or recur. In medicine, ulcers commonly refer to peptic or mouth ulcers, requiring careful hygiene and sometimes medical treatment. They impact function and comfort, especially with eating or speaking.
Say it backUlcers are open sores that form on skin or mucous membranes, causing pain and possible infection. They can result from injury, infection, or chronic conditions, and may heal slowly or recur. In medicine, ulcers commonly refer to peptic or mouth ulcers, requiring careful hygiene and sometimes medical treatment. They impact function and comfort, especially with eating or speaking.
"The patient developed ulcers on her tongue after the chemotherapy cycle."
"Peptic ulcers are often caused by H. pylori infection or long-term NSAID use."
"Doctors advised good mouth care to prevent ulcers during illness."
Pronounce as UL-sers (US) or UL-səz (UK/AU). IPA US: /ˈʌl.sɚz/; UK/AU: /ˈʌl.səz/. The first syllable carries the primary stress. The second syllable uses a schwa-like vowel /ə/ in many British and Australian accents, with an z closing: /z/. In careful speech, ensure the final /z/ is voiced, not a sibilant alone. You’ll sound natural if you maintain a quick, smooth transition between syllables.
Common errors: pronouncing it as UHL-ker(s) with a hard 'er' or misplacing stress on the second syllable, and omitting the final /z/ or pronouncing it as /s/. Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable (UL-sers), ensure the second syllable uses a lax schwa /ə/ or /ɜ/ depending on accent, and clearly voice the final /z/ rather than a voiceless /s/. Practice with minimal pairs to feel the /l/ and /z/ transitions.
US tends to produce /ˈʌl.sɚz/ with a rhotacized final syllable /ɚ/ and a pronounced /l/; UK/AU favor /ˈʌl.səz/ with a more reduced second vowel /ə/ and a clear final /z/. The main difference is rhoticity in US (pronounced r-like vowel in /ɚ/) versus non-rhotic or less rhotacized in many UK/AU varieties, where the second syllable often reduces to /əz/ or /əs/. The /l/ remains clear across accents.
Because of the cluster /l/ followed by /s/ and the final /z/ creates a rapid consonant sequence, and the mid vowel in the second syllable can shift: /ɚ/ (rhotic) in US vs /ə/ (schwa) in UK/AU. Your mouth transitions from the light, elevated /l/ to a voiced alveolar fricative /z/ very quickly; voicing and vowel quality of the second syllable vary by accent. Practicing with minimal pairs helps you stabilize tongue position and voicing.
Do you pronounce the second syllable with a clear /ɚ/ in US or a schwa /ə/ in UK/AU, and does the sequence affect how you round your lips for /s/ or /z/? Answer: In US you’ll hear /ˈʌl.sɚz/ with a rhotacized vowel and final /z/. In UK/AU it’s often /ˈʌl.səz/ with a lighter second vowel and elongated /z/. The key is the voice onset on /z/ and keeping the tongue near the alveolar ridge for both /s/ and /z/.
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Ulcer comes from Latin ulcera, from ulcerare, meaning to blister or boil up. The root ulc- likely derives from Proto-Indo-European root *el- meaning to burn or scorched. In medieval Latin, ulcera referred to open sores and lesions, expanding into English in the 14th century as ulcer, with plural ulcers appearing as the usual count noun in modern English. The term has long medical usage, applicable to skin, mouth, and gastrointestinal mucosa. The concept was historically tied to pain and infection, with early theories linking ulcers to imbalanced humors; advances in microbiology and pharmacology gradually clarified etiologies (e.g., H. pylori for gastric ulcers, NSAID-induced ulcers). The modern plural form ulcers reflects its general, non-specific application to multiple lesions across tissues, while singular ulcer remains used primarily in medical contexts to describe a single lesion.
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Words that rhyme with "ulcers"
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